Ask Arkanis

[blue_penguin]

That was really helpful, thank you!

[Nyeleni]

So if you a +1 EB sword with a +3 Attack bonus, do you end up with +4 to hit or +3?

+3 afaik (nwn1 but many things work differently on nwn1 than 2).

[Nyeleni]

EB adds damage. That's how AA can get their awesome damage.

They use a +4 EB bow, then add the enchantment from their AA ability, and end up getting +9 EB.

And from experience, I noticed that using a low EB bow on Calinde gave me way less damage when I used Manyshot.

Hm, is this for bgtscc only? As I am pretty sure it doesnt apply in the original campaign. I found this too, browsing a nwn2 forum:

Ranged weapons tend to only use attack bonus, because they can only have strength-related damage bonuses if they have the 'mighty' property. You can enchant a ranged weapon with an enhancement bonus, but I don't think the damage bonus actually does anything.

So, anyone knows what is the right answer?

[Valefort]

There are bows with enchantment bonus and not only attack bonus on the server, the bonus damage is there. A sidenote, the EB on bows doesn't stack with the EB on arrows.

[Nomster]

Two three questions,

FAI & Magic,
The rules say -no magic-. Someone mentioned they had spoken with a DM who said healing magic is allowed. If there are such exceptions, can they be clarified in the rules..? When I see -no magic- I think no magic whatsoever is allowed. Be it a light spell, heal or a fireball. What is the thought on this?

Amn & Cowled Wizards,
Apparently the Cowled Wizards worked -for- Amn during the Amn-Gate war on the server. In Lands of Intrigue - Amn it is specifically mentioned that they are an outlawed organization, someone being found out could mean death. Amnian people overall are very mistrusting of mages. How do I RP this inconsistency between server lore and actual lore? I have a character who I RP as not trusting mages but now I am not sure if that is the right way...

Studying languages,
What is the procedure for studying for languages on top of what your intelligence modifier allows? I asked in a PM some time ago and have not received a reply. Are languages ever granted through study and RP...?

[DM Arkanis]

Two three questions,

FAI & Magic,
The rules say -no magic-. Someone mentioned they had spoken with a DM who said healing magic is allowed. If there are such exceptions, can they be clarified in the rules..? When I see -no magic- I think no magic whatsoever is allowed. Be it a light spell, heal or a fireball. What is the thought on this?

Amn & Cowled Wizards,
Apparently the Cowled Wizards worked -for- Amn during the Amn-Gate war on the server. In Lands of Intrigue - Amn it is specifically mentioned that they are an outlawed organization, someone being found out could mean death. Amnian people overall are very mistrusting of mages. How do I RP this inconsistency between server lore and actual lore? I have a character who I RP as not trusting mages but now I am not sure if that is the right way...

Studying languages,
What is the procedure for studying for languages on top of what your intelligence modifier allows? I asked in a PM some time ago and have not received a reply. Are languages ever granted through study and RP...?

1. FAI and Magic - I can't make a ruling on this one. I believe that there are other threads where there is ongoing discussion. I can bring it up with the DM's if we need further clarification.

2. Amn & Cowled Wizards - I would recommend you post of DM X_zar's Lord thread about this one and get him to give you some background.

3. Studying Languages - if you sent me a PM and I didn't reply, I appologize. Here on, "Ask Arkanis" I posted an answer to a similar question back on November 19. Here's what I said:

"This question has come up before and I'll give you what my personal thoughts are on it so this isn't a DM ruling, just discussion.

We type in our own language when our toons speak, and when we want to speak another language we use the language button and type our own language into it, and it translates it for other players to read. I would say that if you were RP'ing with another character that they were teaching you their language, that they should actually teach it to you, and you type in the words rather than be granted the language and use the translator button. I do this all the time when I play an elf - I use "elven" that I have read or seen around and type it in normally rather than switching to the elven language, and Drow characters have a whole list of words and phrases that they use as everyday normal speak as well, "Xaz! malla ilharess ithar!"

With respect to having the INT to warrant another language. I know that in some character builds that you can add points to your stats as you level up and at epic levels you can pick them as well instead of a feat. In my opinion, with a combination of RP (i.e. being immersed in scenarios where only the other language is spoken) over time, coupled with a stat increase (non magical... magical stat bonuses can be taken away) you could warrant the addition of the extra language. I would say that this would have to be well documented though, and taken on a case-by-case basis by the DMs."

[blue_penguin]

I was on the map with the FAI and suddenly three dire badgers came out of the threes and destroyed me.

Is it bugged or is that... a thing that happens? ._.

[DM Arkanis]

I was on the map with the FAI and suddenly three dire badgers came out of the threes and destroyed me.

Is it bugged or is that... a thing that happens? ._.

Yes, there are also Gnolls there sometimes too. It is like being way-laid by bandits when you travel the trails - same kind of script.

[Baboonicorn]

Fortunately, I've only ever seen the hill-giant encounter on the goblins' stretch of the tradeway once. There are also doppelgangers, who had dispatched an unfortunate half-orc just as I arrived in the map.

[Broham2]

Fortunately, I've only ever seen the hill-giant encounter on the goblins' stretch of the tradeway once. There are also doppelgangers, who had dispatched an unfortunate half-orc just as I arrived in the map.

Luckily enough I was being escorted by a higher level bodyguard at the time, or those dopplegangers would have had my lunch. That was a fun encounter.

I haven't seen the hill giants yet, glad to know they are there still!

On a spawn-related note:

Have the DMs (or I guess Devs) considered changing the spawns some between the Lion's Way and the South of Candlekeep maps? I desperately miss the hill giants and Ogres on the Lion's way - it was always a favorite of mine. The way it is now I feel less than heroic killing beetles all over the place.

[Empoweredfan]

- Since this is before the time of troubles, is the Underdark part of Shar's domain on the server or not? (one of those things that stuck in my head, during last evening of reading, and have to be asked before it flees along with most of the other things I noted.)

- Bard Songs, are they the Elfsong magic from the book with the same name? (After time of trouble) Not that I want to have it all lore correct if it is mind you, just wondering.

- . . . there was one more question, but it took this chance and fled. . . =/

Yours truly, Empoweredfan

[DM Arkanis]

There are a couple of good guestions above - anyone want to take a stab at them?

[Valefort]

- Since this is before the time of troubles, is the Underdark part of Shar's domain on the server or not? (one of those things that stuck in my head, during last evening of reading, and have to be asked before it flees along with most of the other things I noted.)

No, the Underdark belongs to Ibrandul's portfolio. http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Ibrandul

[Darksider_war]

Secret things you are allowed to do thanks to D&D's creative laws. Any comments Ark?

1) Passing an item hand to hand is a free action (doesn't take up time), so if you line up a few thousand people you can get an object to travel miles in six seconds. Then the last person throws it. This is commonly called the "Peasant Railgun". note

2) You can also have one player stand on another player's shoulders and pick him up as a free action. Then the other player picks him up. Since this is all a free action, there is no time for them to fall, and thus they can fly by repeatedly picking each other up in midair.

3) If you have someone in a grapple, you can move them at a fraction of your normal movement speed, assuming they fail (or don't try) to resist. So if you have a half dozen people or so in a group hug and none of them resisting, they can travel faster than running speed. Get enough people and you can break the sound barrier.

Further, all characters in a grapple are in the same square. There's also a rule that up to three people can grapple with one target. With some creative planning on the part of the grapplers, you can get it so that the entire population of a planet is in one square, which is 5 feet in game terms. There's also a rule as to what happens when players break a grapple (each member of the grapple is shoved to the nearest empty square immediately). This can result in characters going faster than the speed of light in order to land on a properly empty square.

4) Dropping an item is a free action, as well. And if you happen to be fireproof and are standing next to an enemy while carrying, say, five hundred units of alchemist's fire... Though the logistics of actually carrying all of it is a bit screwy in and of itself (seriously, you normally only have two hands with which to drop them).

5) Perhaps the most true-to-form example of rule loophole, is that while the state of "Dying" is explicitly defined in the rules as far as what actions are acceptable, the state of "Dead" has no restrictions. There Ain't No Rule preventing a freshly-killed player from standing up and continuing the fight.

6) There's no official restriction preventing you from using the spell True Creation to make planet-destroying quantities of antimatter.

7) The various settings tend to have in-universe cases somewhere in all the history and organizations. For instance, House Jorasco healers are not supposed to treat without payment in money... but there is nothing hindering them from lending the necessary money and then setting a task as repayment in kind for the loan.

[TheKai]

Hello Arkanis!

Are there any elven monastic orders? Was thinking of creating an elf monk perhaps but it seems the chaotic nature of the elves would contradict the lawful requirement? Also read about the Seldarine and not one lists Monks (that I saw). Would an elven monk be considered snowflake?

R,
Kai